Columbus Council removes event, daily parking fee from downtown deck (Bishop: university, shop)

[Fountain-of-youth]

In a move to try to get those who frequent downtown, Columbus Council on Tuesday removed the $2 parking fee charged to use the RiverCenter for Performing Arts garage.

“The RiverCenter deck is an asset that is not being used,” said Uptown Columbus Inc. President Richard Bishop, who requested council take the action. “What we propose is to try and change that behavioral habit on how people use that deck.”

District 7 Councilor Mimi Woodson, who represents downtown, made the motion to eliminate the fee. Council voted 7-0 to remove the fee. Councilors Pop Barnes, Glenn Davis and Gary Allen were not present at the time of the vote.

Bishop outlined downtown parking concerns as Columbus State University prepares to open its College of Education and Health Professions at the former Ledger-Enquirer site on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway.

Bishop insisted that there is no parking shortage, pointing to spaces in the city-owned decks, including the one in the 900 block of Broadway in front of the RiverCenter.

“One of the things we know will happen is there will be concerns about parking,” Bishop said.

Columbus State is going to bring about 100 faculty and staff and more than 1,300 students into downtown. There will be a faculty and staff lot at the site. The students will park in on-street parking and the city decks. CSU controls about 300 spaces in the downtown RiverPark campus.

Columbus Council votes to make parking deck free | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

I see another parking garage being built downtown.

[DWColumbus]

Originally Posted by Fountain-of-youth

Columbus Council votes to make parking deck free | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

I see another parking garage being built downtown.

That definitely wouldn't surprise me!